Second Chances
by EzioAuditoreDaFirenze1500
Summary: Things did not end well between them. All Eren wanted was a second chance. When he re-emerges as a Titan, how can he convince Mikasa and his teammates about who he is. AU where Eren can't revert back to his human form for some time.
1. Promise

**Eren's POV**

"Shit," I said as I reached out of the Titan's mouth. Armin, my best friend, was reaching out for me. I couldn't die here. I hadn't seen the outside world yet. I haven't killed all the Titans. I haven't said goodbye to all my friends. To her. The Titan's mouth closed shut, my arm falling from it. He swallowed. I fell through his esophagus and landed in his stomach. I looked around and screamed. Dead bodies surrounded me, some without limbs, all bloodied. "No, I can't die!" I shouted with tears in my eyes. There was so much I hadn't done, so much I hadn't seen. But more importantly, I made a promise. A promise I broke.

* * *

"Nobody gives a fuck what you want! Stop trying to impose your will on people," I shouted as I headbutted my foster sister Mikasa. She cringed from pain but I was too angry to care. Once again, she was trying to act as if I was some defenseless child. But no longer. Mikasa hung her head.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly," she apologized. I was about to turn my back on her when she tugged at my elbow. I face her. "Please promise me something," she said weakly. "Please don't die." My anger died down a bit, but it was still present. I took my arm away from her grasp and marched off.

"I won't die," I said to her.

* * *

I was wrong I suppose. I guess I'm not in control of my fate. Once again, the last moments I spend with someone close to me are wasted with a fight. My mother and now Mikasa. I'd taken her for granted and now, I'd never be able to see her again. More tears started welling up in my eyes. The world is cruel. Nothing but suffering comes from it. I had given up all hope. I just had one final wish before I died. To see my family again. To see her again. I began to sink in the Titan's stomach acids. I raised my severed arm. "It can't end like this! I won't let them. Too many things haven't been said, because of you bastards!" I shouted. "I'll never see my mother again, I'll never leave the walls and explore the outside world with Armin! I'll never be able to tell Mikasa that I-," I was mouth to toes in the Titan's stomach acid. I swore once more in my mind. The Titans would die by my hands for what they've taken from me. Everything went dark after that. All I could see was myself, standing over the body of the Titan that had previously devoured me. Another Titan, a smaller one appeared and leaped towards me. I killed it instantly with one punch. All I could think about was killing more. More. I had to kill more. I would kill them all.

* * *

**Mikasa's POV**

I lay on my bed with tears in my eyes. He promised me he wouldn't die. The feeling I had was all too familiar with me. I had gone through it twice before. My family was gone again. Why? Why did this keep happening to me? I did nothing wrong. Maybe it was all for some God's amusement. I felt like I couldn't go on. My life had no purpose anymore. This is a cruel world we live in, but also a very beautiful one. I felt the scarf around my neck for comfort. The one that Eren had given me a few years ago. I was jolted out of my thoughts by a knock on my door. One of the commanders came in. "Ackerman, we need your assistance in dealing with the Titans that have infiltrated the wall. We know you're in mourning but this cannot delay," he said as he exited my room. I sighed. Maybe that would be the day I died. I really didn't care.

* * *

Everybody, including Armin looked at me with pity and concern. It had been Armin who had delivered the news of Eren's death to me the previous day. Armin quickly relayed his plan to kill all the Titans in the area but I dismissed it just as quickly. "Why?" he asked.

"I will take care of the Titans. I am strong. Stronger than all of you. I'm more than capable of taking care of them myself," I said as I grappled to a nearby building. The others were close to follow me. I zipped from one Titan to another, slicing the napes of their necks as I went along. This was meaningless. They were impossible to beat. They would just end up eating us all. Suddenly, while mid-air, the gas in my 3-D Maneuver Gear ran out and I fell to the ground. "I should have paid more attention to my gas," I said to myself before dropping my swords. I wasn't thinking straight. Eren's death clouded my judgement and outlook on life. I knelt down on the floor as closed my eyes. I led a good life, no matter how much tragedy was mixed up in it. A Titan turned into the corner and faced me. Another one came from behind me, this one more muscular and lean than the first which had a fat belly. Eren's voice crept into my head, telling me to fight. Then I realized that if I was to die there, all my memories would be lost, including those of Eren. I had to fight. No matter what! I grabbed my swords and readied myself for an attack when the unimaginable occurred. The muscular Titan attack the other one. With one right hook, the first Titan was down, leaving the muscular one victorious. He stood over the body of his opponent and exhaled. I couldn't believe my eyes. In a blind fury, the Rogue Titan repeatedly stomped on the fallen one's neck. He screeched in anger and then a memory came back in my mind. Of when Eren saved me from me parent's murderers.

"Don't get up! Stay down! This is what you deserve you animal!" he shouted as he continuously stabbed the murderer in the chest. The Rogue Titan was angry, that much was clear. But there was something more than that present. When that Titan killed the other, I felt like I could see Mankind's rage in physical form. The same rage that Eren had used to save me. The same that had spurred him into joining the military. The same that ultimately got him killed. I couldn't help but feel at awe. To feel inspired. That Titan helped me carry on. It made me want to carry out Eren's dream.

* * *

**So that's Chapter 1 finished. Just an alternate take on Eren's transformation into a Titan. This will cover the Female Titan Arc as well as the Breach Arc so this will be going on for some time. Please review and check out my profile for my other AU Shingeki no Kyojin fanfic.**

**I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin hence the reason why I am writing about it on a fanfiction site and not in the manga.**


	2. Abnormality

**Mikasa's POV**

The sight of one Titan killing another was strangely exhilarating. Inspiring. I still felt empty inside. I knew that Eren would never be coming back. But, I pressed on. I didn't give up. I stood there, watching in awe as the Rogue Titan finished off the other one. Before I knew it, Armin had me in his arms, and we were both on a nearby rooftop. "Mikasa! Are you alright?" he asked in a frantically worried tone. I weakly nodded. Connie Springer, one of my former classmates quickly joined us on the rooftop.

"Are you guys alright? We have to get going!" he said before he caught sight of trouble. A fifteen meter class Titan was making its way towards the Rogue Titan. "Shit! Two fifteen meter classes are coming this way!" I shook my head.

"No. That Titan's..." I was too exhausted to finish my sentence. The Rogue Titan screeched at his opponent who quickly followed suit. The Rogue Titan, to our surprise, got into a fighting stance. The other Titan charged towards the Rogue and was greeted with a left chop to the cheek. The force of the blow was so great; the normal Titan's head dislocated from its neck and flew into a nearby tower. The Rogue Titan's left hand regenerated from dealing such an attack and when it was done, the Rogue Titan stomped on the decapitated Titan's neck, killing it. We were left in complete shock.

"I-It finished the other Titan off!? It knew of its weak spot?" Connie asked rhetorically. That Titan displayed knowledge of hand to hand combat. I had just dismissed it as an abnormal.

"That Titan's techniques seem almost human. Where do you think it-," Armin was cut off by Connie.

"Who cares? We need to get going, before it sees-," Armin cut off Connie.

"No. That Titan appears uninterested in humans. Else it would have surely attacked us by now. If we manipulate that Titan in the correct way, we might get out of here alive," Armin suggested. Connie looked flabbergasted.

"You want to rely on a Titan? Did you hit your head somewhere?" Connie asked, placing his palm on Armin's forehead.

"Do you have any other plan to get us out of here? If we don't try, we'll die. If the plan fails, we'll die. However if the plan succeeds, we'll live. We have nothing to lose," I finally spoke up. Connie accepted.

"That Titan seems to function on instinct. If we kill all the Titans in the area, it will most likely leave to find more. It could clear the way to HQ for us," Armin explained. We immediately set Armin's plan in motion. Connie and Armin helped the Rogue Titan kill all the other Titan's in the area. When it realized that there were none left, it went in the direction of the HQ just like Armin predicted.

"Alright guys, let's follow that abnormal!" Connie declared. He was about to leave when Armin called out to him.

"Wait! Remember, Mikasa's out of gas!" he said. Connie cursed.

"Ah! Why'd you have to run out for!? What can we do without you!?" he shouted. Armin knelt beside me. He took out the gas canisters from his 3-D Maneuver Gear.

"Here, take mine," he said solemnly as he replaced my empty canisters with his. "I won't be any use to you guys anyway. You can take my blades as well," he said, giving me one of his swords. He didn't give me the second. "Well, at least let me keep this one. I've accepted my fate but, I don't want to be eaten alive, at least without a fi-," I grabbed Armin's sword and through it off the roof. He stuttered, unable to completely comprehend what had just happened and why I had done that. The answer was clear to me. Armin has always been my closest friend. He was always the one to patch up things between me and Eren when we were younger.

* * *

**Within Wall Maria, Year 845**

"Damn it Mikasa, why'd you have to save me from those guys, I could have taken them," Eren muttered bitterly. I rolled my eyes.

"Your entire face is bruised," I said bluntly. Eren blushed then scowled at me.

"Shut up!" he shouted. We started arguing with each other, Eren shouting and me retaliating with my usual calm attitude. Armin decided he had enough and came between us.

"You guys argue over the littlest things. I mean Eren, she was only trying to help you. Odds are, you would have turned out a lot worse had she not arrived when she did. And Mikasa, Eren just feels a little humiliated about how you're always riding to his rescues. Why don't you guys just realize how lucky you two are to have each other and stop fighting?" Armin asked. Eren and I looked at each other before sighing.

"Sorry Mikasa," Eren said, almost under his breath. I apologized too, even though I knew I wasn't at fault. I didn't like making Eren angry. It was nice to have Armin to clear things up every once in a while.

**Present Day**

I placed my hand on Armin's. "Armin, I will not leave you no matter what? Understand me? With Eren gone, we're all we have left. We will survive," I said. Armin tearfully nodded. "And we wouldn't be better off without you. Your brilliant intellect and assessment of difficult situations has helped both Eren and I before," I finished. "Connie, you're responsible for Armin. We have to follow that abnormal, quickly." That strange Titan. That had saved my life. There was a certain familiarity about to that Titan that I couldn't shake. What was it?

* * *

**Eren's POV**

Mikasa and Armin? Connie too? Was I having some sort of dream? I felt as if I towered above them, even when they stood on a rooftop. My body moved without my consent, towards a few three meter and ten meter class Titans. I killed them all with only one arm. Strangely enough, I had only just noticed that I stood at the same height as most of the Titans, the rest being smaller than me. What the hell was going on? It must have been a dream. Memories flooded into my head with no mercy. Memories of being eaten alive by a bearded Titan, ripping out of its body and killing any Titan I could find. I remembered my vow once more. To kill all the Titans, to explore the outside world- to see Mikasa again. More Titans came my way each dying as quickly as the previous. Maybe this was a dream. I sure as hell couldn't feel anything. I decided to relax and enjoy the dream as more and more Titans died by my hand. Then something caught my eye. Two Titans, a male and a female by the look of it. I ran towards them and pushed them into a building. I quickly charged and punched the male in the face. The force of the punch sent the male flying into the female and they crashed into a wall. I screeched something terrible and ran towards a clump of Titans so they could meet their demise from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mikasa and Connie, Armin in hand, break into the window of the building I smashed the male and female Titans into. So they were back? Whatever.

* * *

**Mikasa's POV**

We broke into HQ to find our teammates there, some scarred mentally and physically. Jean was the first to approach us. "Mikasa!? You're still alive?" he asked in disbelief. Connie stood up.

"Everyone! That Titan outside is an abnormal that slaughters other Titans! It doesn't even care about humans. If we play our cards right, we can all get out of here alive!" he declared. Everyone looked confused, especially Jean.

"You want to rely on a Titan!?" Jean asked, unknowingly expressing the same concerns that Connie himself did about an hour ago. "That's more crazy than any dream!"

"It's not a dream. I don't care if it's an abnormal or whatever. All I care about is us all making it out of here alive," I said. Jean conceded. Maybe if we all survived, I could discover the origins of that mysterious Titan.

**Half an hour later**

After we had restocked on gas, we exited the HQ to check on the Rogue Titan. I grappled on to a nearby building and was shocked by what I saw. Armin joined me shortly and asked why I was standing still. "That Titan..." I said, not needing to explain any further. The other Titans were eating it. As if it was human. "I was hoping that after all this was done, we could find out more about that Titan. Maybe it's the key to freeing ourselves from Titan control."

"I agree," a deep voice said behind me. It was Reiner Braun, accompanied by Bertholdt Fubar and Annie Leonhardt, all former classmates of mine. "If that Titan dies, we'd have gained nothing but our lives in this struggle. I say we help it," he finished. Jean approached him, flabbergasted.

"Are you kidding me Reiner!? It's a fucking Titan! Am I the only one with any sense left?" he asked. Something caught Armin's eye.

"Hey! It's the abnormal that ate Thomas!" he said as he pointed to a skinny, Aryan looking fifteen meter Titan. As if reacting specifically to the arrival of the murderer of one of Eren and Armin's teammates, the Rogue Titan ran towards the Aryan abnormal in a blind rage. The three meter class Titans sinking their teeth into the rogue's arms ripped them off as it ran towards the abnormal. It bit the abnormal on the neck, killing it instantly and killed the other Titans with the corpse. The Rogue Titan screeched before finally succumbing to exhaustion and falling down. Its limbs and wounds slowly began to regenerate but it was clear it would take some time before they do so fully. Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt watched the Rogue's body carefully as if expecting something to happen. They were visibly disappointed when they were met with inaction on the Titan's part.

"We should bring it to the Commander," proposed Reiner. Jean looked even more confused but kept quiet.

"Well if we're gonna keep it, what should we call it?" Connie asked. I continued to look on, part of me feeling something was missing. Something should have been happening. But nothing.

* * *

**So that's the end of Chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it and please review. If you have any suggestions on what to name Eren's Titan form until he resurfaces please inform me. Please check out my other fanfics as well, namely my other Shingeki no Kyojin story: Shattered Existence. It's a futuristic AU fic. Until next time.**


	3. The Return

******Sorry it's been awhile since my last update. I've had a bit of writer's block coupled with school, exams and my Internet Modem breaking down on me. I'll try and update more frequently now that everything has been sorted. Sorry if this chapter comes across as sloppy. I just wanted to upload it as soon as possible so I didn't read through it. That aside, here's the third chapter of Second Chances.**

* * *

**Recap of Events**

**After Eren Jaeger was eaten by a Titan, his will to be reunited with his family triggered a transformation into a 15m Class Titan. Mikasa, after learning of Eren's death, lost the will to live and was almost eaten by a Titan when Eren came to her rescue. Inspired by the roar of the Rogue Titan, she vowed to carry out Eren's dream of killing the Titans and escaping the walls. Eren, as the Rogue Titan, killed many Titans before collapsing from exhaustion. The remnants of 104th Trainee Corps now plan on using the Titan as a weapon.**

* * *

The Rogue Titan began to regenerate faster and within the span of a few minutes, was on its feet again. Sasha and Connie spent the majority of the time coming up with names for their new ally while the others watched them bicker in boredom.

"Killer Titan," Connie threw out.

Sasha shook her head and said, "Chomp."

"Titan Traitor!"

"Crunchy."

"Hell Spawn."

"Pork."

"Rogue."

"Potato," Sasha suggested, mouth drooling at the thought of food.

Connie frowned at how Sasha was easily distracted when it came to food. Jean stood up, having had enough of the banter between the two.

"We'll go with Rogue for now if that shuts you up. Shouldn't that thing be done by n-," Jean abruptly stopped his sentence when he noticed the Titan was gone. "What the hell?"

The others snapped out of their daydreams when they heard Jean. They followed his gaze and were met with the same confusion as him.

"How didn't we notice it get up?" Connie asked.

"Maybe because you and Sasha wouldn't shut up about naming it," Jean said.

"It's there! Near the wall!" Reiner exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the running Rogue.

"After it!" Mikasa ordered as the team departed with their 3DMG.

"And what exactly do we do once we reach this thing? We don't have anything to capture it with," Marco pointed out as they neared the creature.

"If we can injure it to the state it was in earlier, one of us can go and request a team with capture gear. We can pull this off, I'm sure," Armin said.

Mikasa grappled onto the Titan's left leg and slashed its ankle. The Titan staggered but continued its course. Reiner, along with Mikasa began slashing both of its ankles until it fell. They then proceeded to slash its arms when it let out an ear-numbing roar. The team covered their ears in pain as the Rogue quickly regenerated and made it to the wall where countless Titans were situated. The Rogue fought its way through the weaker Titans who were generally 3-4 meter classes with the occasional 15 showing up now and then.

"Damn it! It's gone past Wall Rose!" Jean cursed as he and the rest of his team pulled back to an area without Titans.

"Well there's the possibility of having a Titan at our disposal down the drain," Armin muttered bitterly.

"Why we can just report what we found to the Scouting Legion. I've heard they're into shit like this," Connie suggested, only for Armin to shake his head.

"Don't you remember why the Titan took so long to regenerate? The other Titans were eating it, as if it were an oversized human," Armin pointed out. "That Titan won't survive five minutes in Titan territory," he finished solemnly.

"Don't forget that freak started on the others so maybe it was a revenge thing. It's still something worth reporting, don't you think?" Jean stated.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Armin sighed, exhausted from the recent events.

Mikasa noticed that some of the Titans near the wall were advancing once more.

"We should go," she said, monotonously as ever.

The others complied and they set off past the gate.

* * *

**Eren's POV**

I'll erase them from this world. I'll kill every single one of them and then, I'll devour them.

I woke up, surrounded by night, skeletal body parts and ruined houses. Where was I? When I attempted to get up, a sharp pain coursed through my head, preventing my movement. I swore I had the strangest dream but I couldn't remember it. Where was Armin? And Mikasa? I was put through more pain at the thought of her name. Memories swam through my mind, too fast to make them out but something stood out: "I'll never be able to tell Mikasa that I-." Tell her that I what? I really couldn't remember anything. I attempted to get up once more and was shocked with what I saw. I was lying in the skeleton of a Titan! What the hell happened? My gear was destroyed, my clothes had bite marks around my arm and leg. I then remembered that I had been eaten by a Titan. Then how was I there? Wherever _there _was. After resting for a few hours, I got up from the giant skeleton and looked around. Blood everywhere, ruined houses and buildings around every corner. The area started to look familiar. I started to walk around, limping as I did so, still feeling fatigued. The area was really starting to look familiar. I turned left around a bend and then went right. I was even more shocked when I stumbled upon something that brought tears to my eyes.

"Home..."

* * *

"You must go to the basement!"

My father's voice echoed through my head. I fondled the key around my neck for a short while before making my way to my house. As I got closer, I noticed a 10 m Titan lying lazily behind my house. Its large feet were visible from my position. I then remembered what life was like before **that day.**

* * *

**Shiganshina District, Wall Maria, Year 845**

"And then I'm going to see the sea and the burning water and everything else!" I exclaimed while telling Mikasa and Armin what I'd do once I had joined the Scouting Legion.

Mikasa was as stoic and quiet as every while Armin's eyes were lit up like the brightest star.

"Wow Eren! I'm so jealous," Armin said.

He then looked down, the light gone from his eyes.

"I only wish I could join the Legion," he said sadly.

"Why don't you?" I asked, confused as to why he wouldn't because after all, he was the one who had told me about the outside world.

"Because unlike some people, Armin doesn't want to through his life away over a dream," Mikasa butt in, showing no emotion.

"Huh? Why the hell would you say that?" I asked, anger rising.

"Never mind," Mikasa said, probably to avoid starting a fight.

I didn't realize this at the time and urged her to answer.

"Why do you want to join the Scouting Legion if all that awaits you is death?" Mikasa asked.

"I thought you knew! It's so I can escape these cramped walls! Don't you feel caged? This world should be open to anyone but we're trapped in here because of those damned monsters! I want to see the outside and break free from the grasp of the Titans!" I said, starting to tear up.

I was very touchy about my dreams and ambitions and the fact that someone as close to me as Mikasa was questioning them hurt me.

"I don't care if I die trying to achieve this dream. If I so much as take a step outside of the walls, I'll be content."

Mikasa frowned and stormed off to our house.

"Why is _she_ getting angry?" I asked.

Armin answered with a sigh and shook his head at me.

"So dense," he said before going home.

"What? What'd I do?" I asked before giving up and going home.

Everyone was acting so weird that day, or so I thought.

* * *

I met my mother on the terrace where she was hanging up clothes on the line.

"Eren? Shouldn't you be out with Armin?" my mother asked when she noticed me behind the clothes.

"I got bored so I came home," I lied, my ears going red in the process.

My mother smiled knowingly and pinched my right ear.

"How many times have I told you? I'll always know when you're lying. So why are you really here Eren? Something to do with Mikasa?" she asked, letting go of my ear.

"Not all my problems are about Mikasa you know!" I yelled, my face heating up from embarrassment.

"Ever since she's moved in its been 'Mom! Mikasa won't stop crying! Mikasa can't sleep! Why won't Mikasa smile?'" my mother teased, visibly satisfied with how red my face was. "Now why is it that Mikasa stormed right up to your room without a word earlier?"

Sighing, I told my mother about what I had said about the outside world, excluding my desire to join the Scouting Legion, knowing full well that my mother would change from her relaxed and teasing state to a more overprotective and forbidding parent. My mother started laughing uncontrollably leaving me in confusion once again. Even she was acting strange. When my mother regained her composure, she pinched my cheek playfully.

"Oh Eren, let me tell you something..."

* * *

I reluctantly made my way through the hall to the door of mine and Mikasa's shared room. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I knocked on the door, slowly and cautiously. I then opened the door to find Mikasa sitting on her bed. I sat down next to her and held her hand.

"I'm not actually going to die you know," I said after about a minute of silence.

Mikasa rested her head on my shoulder as I continued to speak.

"It's just, I really want to escape these walls, you know? I feel like the world outside of them is waiting for me to explore it. But I promise you Mikasa, I will not die. One day, I know I'll be able to leave the walls and see the sea. And when that time comes, I want you to be there with me," I said.

Mikasa's face became red and I wondered if she had a fever. Despite that, I continued.

"Imagine Mikasa. You, me and Armin at the sea. Doesn't that sound great?" I asked.

Her fever appeared to go down and her face returned to its usual pale complexion.

"Yeah," she said, sounding just like Mikasa.

"The outside world..."

* * *

**Present Day**

Just one day before **that day**. No one even dreamed of the wall being destroyed. No one dreamed of being reminded of the fear and humiliation of being ruled by them. We should have been prepared. But we weren't. And because of that, my family had been torn apart. My mother dead, my father missing and god knows what happened to Mikasa after I was eaten. But there was no time to think about that. I had to get to the basement. But I spent to long resting and reminiscing. The Titan that was lying down behind my house, had gotten up. I started to feel sick. Overwhelming pain coursed through my veins as my skin began to crack and wounds began to open. I looked up, my eyes being hit with a bright, blinding light. The sun had risen.

* * *

**What's happening to Eren? How will the 104th's Trainee's superiors react to the news that there is a Titan that targets other Titans? Will Mikasa ever be reunited with Eren? All will be answered soon.**


End file.
